Indian toll in Haj stampede rises to 74

The toll of Indian pilgrims killed in the stampede near Makkah in Saudi Arabia during Haj has risen to 74, the government said on Tuesday.

( pic courtesy :freepresskashmir.com)

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted: “Haj stampede – Saudi Arabia has released a further list. The Indian toll is now 74.”

The Haj Mission at the Indian Consulate in Jeddah posted on its Facebook page an updated list of Indians who died in the stampede.

The Indian toll till Sunday was 58. Over 700 people were killed in the September 24 stampede near Makkah.

An official of the Uttar Pradesh government said in Lucknow that two pilgrims from the state, missing after the stampede, were confirmed dead.

They were identified as Mohd. Yaseen and Mehtab Alam — residents of Sitapur.

Officials said the process has begun to facilitate visa and other formalities for the relatives of those who went missing after the stampede.

Two helpline numbers — 09211328755 and 09958712790 — to help the families finalise and undertake their journey to Saudi Arabia have been issued, an official told IANS.

At least 63 Indians have been reportedly missing. They include pilgrims from Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telangana. (IANS)